Folding machine



Feb. 13, 1 940. w, w, DAVIDSON- 2,190,416

FOLDING MACHINE Fileii June 4, 1938 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb- 13, 0- w. w. DAVIDSON V FOLDING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1938 5 Sheet-Sheet 2 Feb. 13, 1940.

w. w. mwmsoN FOLDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 4, 1938 Jkomzegs W. W. DAVIDSON Feb. 13, 1940.

FOLDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 4, 1938 Patented Feb-.13, 1940 Q UNITED STATES FOLDING MACHINE William Ward Davidson, Evanston, Ill., assignor to Davidson Manufacturing Corporation, a

corporation of Illinois Application June 4,.1938, Serial No. 211,852

. 4 Claims. (01. 271-49) This application is a continuation in partof my earlier application on Folding machines, filed May 2, 1938, Serial No. 205,571.

In printing plants-handling a variety of types of work the provision of folding machines which will meet all of the requirements has been a severe problem. The folding to be accomplished may vary all the way from a single fold, as in letters, pamphlets and the like, to-a complicated series of folds some in one direction and some in another, such as may be used in folding forms of many pages for books. The folding of book sections varies widely depending on the number of pages and the manner of binding.

In the past a single machine capable of per-' forming various series of folds including folds in different directions has been extremely complicated and has necessarily included many folding units which would lie-idle most of the time, when running simpler folds. To have the equipment available for a wide variety of folds requires large and bulky machines. The costs of such machines have been so high and their space requirements so great that only large concerns have been able to buy them. In general, the size and. cost of the machines has been necessitated largely by lack of flexibility. In my prior Patent No. 1,620,444-1 disclosed one manner of obtaining flexibility, consisting in the provision between two folding unitsof a conveyor for carrying the sheet from one unit to the other, together with means for turning the sheet 90 or nottuming it at all at will. In its illustrated form the present invention uses this combination in improved form, preferably with a second conveyor capable of turning the sheet and with a delivery table or stacking unit which may be attached adjacent to any folding unit so that the sheet may be ejected fromthe machine at the earliest possible mo- -ment, thus reducing the number of idle folding units which the completely folded sheet must pass and the number of adjustments which must be made to cause the sheet "to pass all the way through the machine without being further folded. Further simplification is secured by provide ing a simplified form of conveyor table capable of turning the sheet in either direction.

It is'very important that the conveyor table be capable of turning the sheet in either directionv position so that the succeeding fold will be at since this will multiply the variety of folds that exactly 90 to the preceding fold. From the commercial standpoint it is of course desirable that the conveying table be convertible to turn the sheet in either direction with great ease, and that its cost shall not be greatly increased to this 5 end.-

From the foregoing it is evident that an object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor table which in carrying the sheet from one folding unit to another can turn the sheet in either 10 direction and accurately register it for the succeeding fold, and which is easily changed over from one function to another, although designed to be relatively inexpensive in cost.

Another object of this invention is to so correlate the pressure of the traction devices, the lateral position of the traction devices with respect to the side guide, and the longitudinal position of the turning means with respect to the traction devices that the machine operates re- 20 liably upon and without damaging in any way the paper stock of a given weight and quality, and to provide means for changing the relationship of these elements so that paper stock of other weight and quality may be acted upon with equal reliability and freedom from damage.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in 30 w c Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken'through the machine approximately on the line li of Fig. 2, the stacking unit being frag mentarily shown in one position in full lines and 5 in two alternative positions in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximatelyv on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the top of the turning table with a sheet of paper shown in dotted lines in three positions;

Fig. 3. is a view similar to Fig.2 butshowing the machine arranged for turning the paper in the opposite direction;

Fig. 4is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 44 of Figs. 1 and 2; 46

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken approximately on the line 55 of Figsl-l and 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the line 66 of Figs. 1 and 2;

' Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing the ad- 50 justable belt guide and tightener taken on the line'l--'IofFig.1; v

Fig. 8.is a perspective view of the pressure strip for pressing the paper against the conveyor belt to insure proper movement of the paper; 7

. forward edge of the paper.

Fig. 9 is a similar view of the paper guide which the paper strikes and along which it slides Fig. 10 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, show ing means for adjusting the longitudinal position of. the turning stop with respect to the pressure roll;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken -:on: the line II-II of Fig. 10, and

Fig. 12 is an exploded perspectiveview of the adjustable turning stop and associated mechanism.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described, all as required by sec. 4888 ofthe Revised Statutes, but the appended claims are not to be limited by the specific disclosure un-- less required by the prior art.

As seen in Fig. 1, theentire folding machine may be supported by a frame I and, briefly stated,

includes a feed table indicated more or less diagrammatically at 2, a conveying and turning table indicated as a whole by the numeral 3, a second conveying and turning table indicated as a whole by the numeral 4, with foldingv units I0,"

20 and 30 positioned at the end of each table, scoring rolls and 6 adjacent to the folding units I0 and 20, and with an ejecting and stacking unit 1 optionally positioned adjacent any folding unit to receive the folded sheet therefrom.

Folding units from the table 2 on which it is placed either by.

hand or more commonly by an automatic feeding device 8. The construction of the'folding units is seen best in Fig. 1, the feeding and folding rolls being numbered II, I2 and I5. The rolls I I and I2 first receive the paper and feed it into the buckle chute I3, which it enters freely until it strikes the paper stop I4 which stops the Since the feeding action of rolls I I and I2 continues, the paper necessarily buckles into the space between rolls I2 and I5. The buckled sheet is thus caught by these two rolls and drawn in between them to crease the buckled sheet and thus complete the fold. The position of the fold is determined by the position of the paper stop I4 which may be adjusted by loosening the clamping nut I6. The two rolls I2 and I5 continue to draw the paper down between them, drawing it out of the buckle chute I3 and feeding it to the next unit of the machine, or an adjacent buckle chute if oneis provided. Thus, in the case of a double folding unit such as the unit 30 the rolls 3,2 and 35 may feed the sheet into a second buckle chute 36. This second buckle chute, together with rolls 35 and 39, makes a fold parallel to that made by the associated buckle chute 34.

After the first fold the sheet passes from the rolls I2 and I5 to the scoring rolls 5, one of which may be grooved or formed of rubber to receive a blade-like member onthe other. It may be observed that the scoring is not necessary v ately to the stacking unit 'I.'

Deflectors Below the scoring rolls 5 and below each but the last folding unit is, a deflector 46 for directing the paper in the desired direction away from the folding unit. These deflectors 46 are shiftable between the position shown in full lines and that shown in dotted lines. In the full-line position the deflector guides the folded sheet't'g ward the next'folding unit or, more specifically, onto t he conveyor and turning table 3 flector 46 is in the dotted line position it guides 7 the folded sheet directly to the ejector rolls 48 and 49 which will then have been moved with the stacking unit 1 to the position shown in dotted lines adjacent the deflector 46 in question. It is evident therefore that the machine maybe adjusted to eject. the folded sheets immediately or 4. When a deafter they leave any oneof the three folding units. I1'1 'Oth61' words, if the sheet is to -be folded only once, it may pass through the folder I0 and then immediately to the stacking unit I. If it is to'be folded twice, it may pass through the first two folders I0 and and then immedithe deflector 46 below scoring rolls 5 will be set as shown in full lines in Fig. 1 toguide the folded 'sheet onto the conveying and turning table 3 which will feed the sheet to the second folding unit or, more specifically. to therolls 2I and 22 thereof. It it is desired that the fold formed by this second folding unit be at right angles to the first fold, this can be accomplished by turning the sheet through 90. According to the present plished by an improved form of table. The table includes a table top 9I which may be supported from the frame I in any suitable manner as by brackets 92 and bar 94, seen best in Fig. 4.

A feed belt 95 slides over table top 9 I being driven by roll 96. The belt passes aroundan idler roll 91 at its lower end and may be tightened and positioned-laterally of the table by tightener and guide 98, which, upon loosening screw 98, may be slid along rod 99 carried by pivoted links I00. The folded sheet is passed onto the belt 95 from the deflector 46 and is carried under a trac-' tion plate I0I which is positioned by bracket I02 sliding on bar I03 and bracket I04 (Fig. 7) sliding on bar I05. The traction plate is positioned directly over the belt 95 wherever the belt may be positioned by belt guide 98 and is secured in this position by set screws I06.- The traction plate I01 may be provided with any means such as the marbles I01 for pressing the sheet against the belt 95 with relatively little friction, so as to insure the proper movement of the sheet by the belt.

Restingon' the table top 9I and preferably extinding under the belt 95 is a paper guide III seen in Fig. 9. This paper guide is positioned properly with respect to the belt 95 and traction plate IN by a clamp I'I2 secured at any position on the bar I05 by a set screw H3. The paper guide III includes a bottom plate portion II4 on invention the turning of the sheet is accomshoulder II6 forming a turning stop beyond which is an extension I I] which forms a guide over the sheet to insure that the sheet properly engages the shoulder II6. Qfcourse, a separately mounted spring finger could serve in place oftheextensionl". I J

In Fig.2 threepositionsofthe papersheet being turned are shown in dotted lines. At I2I 5 the sheet has been dropped onto the.belt 99 and is being moved forwardly by it toward the shoulder Ili. At I22 the sheethasstrucktheshoulder I I6 which stops one end of the sheet and the belt 95 has carried theother end of the sheet for- 10 wardly, thus turning the sheet. At I28 the belt has turned the sheet through 90' and has carried it beyond the shoulderl IS. The lateral inclination or the belt 95 is now prwsing the sheet against the edge guiding flange III, thus insuring the accurate lateral position of the sheet v and also insuring that it is turned to exactly 90. To be sure that the sheet does not jam or'slide off of its proper course, a pressure roller I24 supported from the traction plate Ill by spring urged arm I maybe provided to press the paper firmly against the belt 95.

The position. of the roller I24 is quite important. It has been found that for a particular weight and quality of paper (or other stock'that 25 is being operatedon by the folding machine) there isa definite position of the roller I24 with respect to the shoulder 'I I6 for' turning the paper with the greatest reliability, accuracy and freedom from damage.

It will be observed that if the sheet rotates freely about the point IIS that portion under the rollerv I24 is always moving in a direction perpendicular to a line extending between the shou1 der H9 and the roller I24. If the roller rotates in this same direction there will not need to be any lateral slippage either between it and the sheet or between the sheet and the shoulder 6. From this standpoint the theoretical ideal position for the roller I24 would be slightly lower (to the left in-Fig. 2) than the positionshown so that its axis would exactly pass through the shoulder: II, the inclination of the roller being the same as the inclination of the belt. I However, for ordinary stocks of paper, including medium 5 weight stock and heavier stocks, it is satisfactory if the, paper is engaged in the bite ,betweenthe roller I24 and the belt 95 at the time that it strikes the shoulder IIB, so as to insure the continued proper movement of the paper after it strikes the shoulder 6. For this. reason .the roller I24 may be positioned slightly in advance of the theoretical position mentioned without adversely affecting the turning of the sheet and without in any way damaging it.

I 'For practical purposes the roller I24 so close to the theoretical position that the slippage'between the sheet and the shoulder IIi during the turning of medium grade and heavier stock is negligible.

Another important consideration ,with respect to the roller I24 is that its pressure on the sheet be exactly regulated. It will be evident that the sheet must twist under the roller I24 and hence the tension should be low enough to permit this twisting action without buckling the sheet. On

the other hand, there is appreciable friction between the sheet and the other parts of the table,- and the pressure of the'roller I24 should be sum cient to overcome this friction safely in turning 0 the sheet. Furthermore, the pressure necessary and safe varies according to the nature and thickness of the sheet. For this reason the pres- I sure ofthe roll'should be adjustable minutely or .with infinitesimal variations. 1 'This is accomplished by the construction seen best in Fig. 8,

in which the pressure is applied to arm I26 by spring I29, the tension of which may be adjusted by a thumb screw I21 threaded on a bar I28 which is pivoted at I29 to the post Illlto which the arm I28 ispivoted. 5 The roller I24 could be made of conical shape with its axis intersecting the bottom of the stop shoulder. This would eliminate the necessity of slippage between the roller and the turning sheet and hence would decrease the necessity for fine 10- adjustment of the presusre of roller I24.

After the sheet is turned, the inclination of the-conveyor belt thrusts it against edge guide IIi so that it is accurately allned for feeding to the folding unit 20. The angular position of 15 the edge guide H5 (and of the entire paper guide I II) may. be adjusted upon loosening the set screw I32. Ordinarily the edge guide will be set to extend exactly perpendicularly to the rollers 2| and 22 as indicated by suitable markings on 20 the clamp H2 and the pin I33 extending therethrough.

, Reversed tum For some folding effects it is desirable to turn 25 the sheet in the opposite direction from that illustrated in Fig. 2. This may be accomplished as seen in' Fig. 3 by providing a paper guide 2 similar to the paperguide III but positioned screws I96. The belt 95 may be positioned later- 35 ally by sliding the belt guide 99 along on its supporting shaft 99 after loosening screw 98'.

In order to incline the belt 95 in the opposite direction, as shown in Fig. 3, it is necessary to reverse the angular position of the rolls 96 and 91' carrying this belt. To this endthe rolls as and 91 are journaled in bearing'blocks I36 whch are pivoted to slide bars I31 and I38 and hence may be called swivel bearings. As seen best in Fig. 5, the slide bars are supported by and slide with respect to'bracket 92. A handle I39 may be 4 rigidly secured to the slide bar I31 and extend outwardly from the frame I to facilitate shifting the slide bar I31. The slide bar I38' 'is operated, in synchronism with the slide bar I31 by means of a lever. I49 pivoted by a pin-I4I to the 50 cross bar I42 .of the frame I so that when the slide bar I31 is moved in one direction the slide bar I39 is automatically moved in the opposite direction. Anysuitable means may be provided for securing the slide bars I31 and I38 in the ad- 5 justed position as, for example, the set screw I49 which is threaded through the bracket 92 'adjacent to the handle I39, and which, 'whenadvanced upwardly, bears against the slide bar I31. Thebelt 95 is driven by a drive belt'l43.v The belt I43 should, of course, be driven from a position equidistant from the two positions of the pulleyon roll 96 to permit the reversing of the .althoughfor some purposes it need not be reversible to turn the sheetin either direction at 70 will.

Additional'jolding units Although the'folding units III and 20 have each been illustrated as only a single fplding-15 unit, should be understood that additiona it will be carried without turning until fol ded at each position if itserid 'strikes stop shoulder M6, at which time des1r ithemfcimbnth roiitufiitsiw the helt gfi gp eqoggega iqn wgth email, t ,11 o I m a I t r r ..e v n 1245'? tate it is illustrated, 1;: E18.

- untilw it therefore need ariangement of such s in 01 e provided i with' fol'di unit @111: 2 e, e e ther"'folddii whexadeflecterzlfi; below pljding hpit I0 is set in the position shown in full line's gpd 25 the sheet passes 0nto-:the:bfe1t:9,5;:which carries along under the guide strip IM and the guide ex-' desired.

mam form A modifled form of-the invention is shown in Figs. 10 to 12 inclusive, 1!! which the lateral alignment of the shoulder I I6 and pressure responsive device I24 may be adjusted for handling diiferent stocks of paper or other material.

In this embodiment of the invention the shoulder H6 is in the form of an upstanding lug which is rigidly attached to a stop bracket I". adjustably supported on the arm 1, associated with the side guide III. '1he arm I" inthis instanceis somewhat narrower than it isin the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, in order that .the belt II and traction plate m may occupy a position somewhat closer to the side guide III, the'latter being adjustable along the cross bar Ill.

There is an advantage in having the-side guide III as close as possible to the belt and traction plate IBI when the table is being used for turning sheets, and particularly is this so with the lighter stocks of paper.

The stop bracket I80 is punched from sheet steel and has a runner IBI that rests on the table top 9l and is slidable along its surface. The bracket also has a raised portion "2 provided with a marginal flange I", which cooperates with a raised portion I84 on the arm I" to guide the position of the bracket as it is me ed along the arm I". The'curved portion I" of the bracket rides along the outer margin of the arm I I! to assist in maintaining the bracket in proper alignment. The bracket may be adjustably clamped in any desired position with respect to the arm II1 by means of a stud I88 that extends through an elongated slot I61, in the upstanding I64 of the arm I" and an opening I68 provided at its portion in the bracket I60. The stud is ,lower end with a square head I89 adapted to travel in the groove I10, formed on the underside of the arm I", and at the other end with a thumb screw I'll, which clamps the bracketin the desiredposition.

It should be noted that the guiding edge I12.of-

the side guide III is cut back to a point I" to allow for the full adjustment of the bracket I". It should also be observed-that the inner margin of the lug I I6 is in alignment with the inner face of the guiding edge I12.

By recessing the head I69 of the stud I68 there is no opportunity for the sheet to become caught and thereby interfere with the proper operation of the machine. a

For relatively light, flimsy paper stock, such as news print, the turning of the sheet in a satisfactory manner is best accomplished by having the stop I I6 clamped in a position which is slightly forward (1. e. to the right in Fig. 10) of the pressure device I24. The same result could be accomplished by having the pressure device I24 mounted so that it is capable of adjustment relative' to the stop I I6; For stock of this quality the side guide In is ref rably positioned relatively close to the conveyor tape 95, the exact distance to .,be determined somewhat empirically. Also the pressure exerted by the roller I24 on the paper should be relatively light as compared'with' the pressure which may satisfactorily be used with heavier stock, and this adjustment is accomplished by manipulation of the wing nut I21. Even for light stock, however, the pressure exerted'by' the roller (24 is substantially greater than that exerted by the traction marbles It].

' sheet said path being characterized by the ab- ,l 5. Since it is important for the stop us toflbe somewhat in advance of the normal lateral allgn- 5 ment when the sheet turning mechanism is operating on light weight stock, .and since I claim as my -inventlon:

1. The method of turning a sheet of relatively light material through an angle of substantially 90 as it is being moved by a conveyor in a substantially horizontal plane, which consists, in permitting the leading edge of the sheet, adjacent to one comer, to strike a'positive stop, and then, after the sheet begins to turn about the stop by the continued action of the conveyor, and while the leading'edge of the sheet is still in contact with the stop, apply an increased turning force to the rotating sheet and concurrently therewith supporting the sheet on a surface which permits the light weight sheet to turn without becoming caught and which surface is further characterized by the absence of any shoulder that is capable of catching or fouling the corner of the sheet the stop is"satisfactory for heavier that is diagonally opposite the stop while said corner is moving laterally away from the stop during the turning movement of the sheet, whereby the sheet is assured of making a complete turn but by reason of the relatively lighter force with which the sheet strikes the stop, the danger of buckling the sheet at the stop is minimized.

2. The method of turning a sheet of relatively light material through an angle of substantially 90 as it is being moved by a conveyor in a'substantially horizontal plane, which consists in permitting the leading edge of the sheet, adjacent to one comer, to strike a positive stop, and then, after the sheet begins to turn about the stop by the continued action of the conveyor, and while the leading 'edge of the sheet is still in contact with the stop, apply an increased turningforc to the'rotating sheet at a point in close proximity to the point at which the sheet strikes the stop and concurrently therewith supporting the sheet on a surface which permits the light weight sheet to tm'n without becoming caught and which surface is further characterized by the absence of any shoulder that is capable of catching or fouling the corner of the sheet that is diagonally opposite the stop while said comer is moving laterally away from the stop during the turning movement of the'sheet, whereby the limited stiflness of the sheet is used advantageously to prevent crumpling of the sheet while it is being turned. 3. In a sheet turning and conveying mechanism adapted to handling paper stock of both light and heavy grade, a conveyor table, a sheet conveying means for moving a sheet along the table, a stop interposed in the path of the sheetv for turning it through an angle of approximately 90, a pressure device associated with the conveying means and positioned approximately in lateral alignment with the stop for assisting in theturning of the sheet, said conveyor means being constructed and arranged to provide a free and unobstructed path for the turning of the sence of any shoulder that is capable of catching or fouling the corner of the sheet that is diagonally opposite the stop while said corner is moving laterally away from the stop during the turning movement of the sheet, means for adjusting the "cted path for the turning of the sheet said mgppvosite We g or m a fast;

' immiwwnzn 1::

mm s

a gngji f'f "pproximmelino. 1.

AMEEE R'HQE heiieby 29119:

gfijustinwthe agre 3 w? iheawarfim 

